1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: This episode contains content that may be disturbing to some listeners. 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:08,319 Speaker 1: Please check the show notes for more information. Disgraceland is 3 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: a production of Double Elvis. This is the story of 4 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: a rock and roll myth, a rock and roll myth 5 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 1: that is in need of busting. But it's also a 6 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: Christmas story, a story about the King of Cool himself, 7 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: Elvis Presley, in an obscure Memphis singer who Elvis himself 8 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: thought was just about the coolest dude that he'd ever 9 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: seen on stage. A singer by the name of Johnny Ace, 10 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 1: a singer who died on Christmas Day in nineteen fifty four, 11 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: a singer whose violent death resulted in a cash windfall 12 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: and a killer conspiracy. And a singer who made great music. 13 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: Unlike that music I played for you at the top 14 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: of the show. That wasn't great music. That was a 15 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:11,559 Speaker 1: preset loop from my melotron called Dead for the Holidays MK. Two. 16 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: I played you that loop because I can't afford the 17 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: rights to Mister Sandman by the Cordettes. And why would 18 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 1: I play you that specific slice of clock Tower morphine Cheese? 19 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: Could I afford it? Because that was the number one 20 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: song in America? On Christmas Day nineteen fifty four, and 21 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: that was the day Johnny Ace died, setting into motion 22 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: or rock and roll, myth that persists to this day. 23 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:46,759 Speaker 1: On this episode, a special Christmas Story, a cash windfall, 24 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: a killer conspiracy, Elvis Presley and Johnny Ace. I'm Jake Brennan. 25 00:01:54,440 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 2: And this this Disgraceland. 26 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: It was Christmas Morning at Graceland just before dawn, nineteen 27 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: seventy six, Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis Presley was sitting alone in 28 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: the jungle room. He could smell the Christmas pine in 29 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: the air. He vibed on the lonesome mood thrown off 30 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: by the dim lights from the tree. The presents were wrapped, 31 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: the shopping was done, the meal was planned, and there 32 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,119 Speaker 1: was nothing left to worry about. But for Elvis, worrying 33 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: wasn't the problem. For Elvis. There was the longing of 34 00:02:56,240 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: the holiday season to contend with. He reclied in his chair, 35 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: looked out the window into the night's fading blackness, and 36 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: thought about his beloved mother, Gladys, gone now eighteen years. 37 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: He then thought of his twin brother, Jesse, whom he 38 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: never knew, dead at birth, and as the cold Memphis 39 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: dawn turned into the cold Memphis morning. The king's memories 40 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 1: hollowed out his bulging gut. Elvis's thoughts then turned toward 41 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: a song Pledging My Love. Thinking of the ballad, it 42 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: soothed Elvis. It was written by another Memphis boy. He, 43 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: like Elvis's mother and brother, had also departed this mortal 44 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: coil years earlier. His name was Johnny Johnny Yce. Longing 45 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: and loss are difficult emotions to process, even for kings. 46 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: When Elvis was a kid, there was the pop music 47 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: tradition of the tragedy song to help teenagers work their 48 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: way through the pain of unexpected death. Your boyfriend dies 49 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: in a motorcycle accident, there's a song for that, Leader 50 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: of the Pack by the Shangri Laws. Your boyfriend gets 51 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: crushed by a tree in a lightning storm, there's a 52 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: song for that, Jimmy Love by Kathy Carroll. Hell your 53 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: boyfriend gets attacked by a shark, there's a song for 54 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: that too. The water was read by Johnny Symbol. All 55 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: of these songs attempted to do for teenagers what Elvis 56 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: was trying to do for himself, which was to quell 57 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 1: his grief with the thought of Johnny Ace's tune, but 58 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: it wasn't working. Elvis thought back to and earlier, far 59 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: less complicated time, to a time before stardom, before this 60 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: all consuming grief. To Beale Street just down the road 61 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: apiece in Memphis nineteen fifty one, Riley b. King's electric 62 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: guitar went dead, and so did the band behind. Riley Bibi, 63 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: as he was calling himself now Bib for blues Boy, 64 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: Bib King's band, the beel Streeters, singer Bobby Blue Bland, 65 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: tenor saxophonist Adolph Duncan, and piano player Johnny Ace stood 66 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: in silence. A woman from the front of the juke 67 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: joint screamed bloody murder, and just then everyone else on 68 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: the dance floor turned and flooded away from the stage 69 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:28,679 Speaker 1: toward the juke's single exit. Young Elvis, just sixteen years old, 70 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: from his vantage point looking in from outside the juke 71 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: joints window, watched it all in horror. Blood was pouring 72 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 1: out of the man's stomach. His arms were stretched ahead 73 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: of him as he stumbled behind the fleeing crowd, like 74 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: the Walking Dead from one of those features. They showed 75 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 1: down at the Bristol on Saturday afternoons, White Zombie, the 76 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: Ghost Breakers or I Walked with a Zombie. Elvis was 77 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: so scared he couldn't move. There on the suddenly vacated 78 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: dance floor in front of the stage a bloodied knife. 79 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: The man had been stabbed for what. Elvis didn't know. 80 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: The band didn't know either, but they weren't surprised. Random 81 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: acts of violence in southern duke joints were as common 82 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,720 Speaker 1: as pigs feet and white lightning. And the Beal Streeters 83 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: were young, but they were pros, the hottest band in Memphis. 84 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: Elvis knew it. That's why I was perched outside the 85 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: window watching. He couldn't get inside to see them, being 86 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 1: so young and so white, so he did what he 87 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:30,799 Speaker 1: had to. Because bb King could play like nobody's business, 88 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: and Bobby Blue Bland had a special handle on whatever 89 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,600 Speaker 1: song band leader ate Off Duncan called upon for him 90 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 1: to sing. And that piano player, Johnny Ace they called him. 91 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: He didn't look that much older than Elvis, and that 92 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: gave Elvis hope. Maybe someday it'd be him up there 93 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: on that juke joint stage. But he'd never be as 94 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: cool as Johnny. That was impossible. There was something about him. 95 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: He could hear it in the way he played, and 96 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: he could see it in the way he walked, like 97 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: a Cadillac. The Cadillac walk. Elvis thought, that's how Johnny 98 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: rolled through like a Cadillac. Didn't matter if it was 99 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: down Beal Street on a busy afternoon or passed a 100 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: crime scene in an empty duke joint. Johnny Ace, Elvis thought, 101 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: there was no one, no one cooler than Johnny Ace. 102 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 1: Johnny Ace screamed as he slammed his slub nose twenty 103 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: two down on the backstage table. It was all adrenaline, 104 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: the accompanying laughter quietly while the men in the room 105 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: laughed nervously and shuffled out. Johnny was drunk and playing 106 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: with his gun again, a dangerous combo out front of 107 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: the Colosseum. Johnny Otis's band warmed up the crowd for 108 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: Johnny Ace and BB King, But Johnny Ace and BB 109 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: King weren't performing together tonight. Now the beel Streeters had 110 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 1: long since disbanded. Johnny and Bibie were now both stars 111 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: of their own solo man, and Bobby Blue Bland was 112 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: off on his own as well, and even that funny 113 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: looking white Boy used to hang around the juke joints 114 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: back in the day. Elvis he was making a name 115 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: for himself as of late too, touring out on the 116 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: Louisiana Hayride. It was Christmas Day, nineteen fifty four. Then 117 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: the song on the backstage radio cut to commercial shit. 118 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: There he was the kid. Johnny slammed his gun down 119 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: on the table again and told everyone in the dressing 120 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: room to shut the fuck up to listen, And so 121 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: they did. In the dressing room, with the muffled sounds 122 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: of the Johnny Oodis band pulsing through the walls, the 123 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: small radio pumped in a ridiculous sounding jingle, a tune 124 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: promoting Southern Maid Donuts, and the small crowd around Johnny 125 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: suppressed their laughter as they leaned in to listen, which 126 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: only made the tune they were listening to even funnier. 127 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: This is him, that kid, the white Boy, went Elvis 128 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: Presley on the radio. Hit the tagline in the commercial's jingle, 129 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: you can get them piping hot after four pm, you 130 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: can get them piping hot. Southern Mad Donuts hit the spot, 131 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: you can get them piping hot. When they heard that 132 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: that absurdity, the cheesiness. It sent Johnny and his backstage 133 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 1: guest into hysterics. Do you believe this bullshit? Johnny asked 134 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:23,559 Speaker 1: to no one, in particular his friend Willie may Thornton. 135 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: Big Mama Thornton, to the black record buying public, answered 136 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 1: I bet he getting paid. Though from Johnny's girlfriend, Olivia 137 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: chimed in the maybe of Johnny got himself a commercial. 138 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: He could afford a Cadillac like BB King instead of 139 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 1: that rickety old station wagon that Johnny drove. Johnny went 140 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: wild eyed, grabbed his twenty two off the table and 141 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: started waving it around the dressing room. Olivia told Johnny 142 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 1: she didn't mean anything by the comment. She was just playing, 143 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: just playing, just playing. She wanted to play well. Then 144 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: Johnny had a game for her. He slammed the gun 145 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 1: down on the table again, and Johnny pulled from his 146 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 1: jug of vodka and then said, I got a game 147 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,959 Speaker 1: we can play. Olivia and Big Mama sat stone silent. 148 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: Johnny stared into Big Mama Thornton's eyes, and he then 149 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: lifted the revolver, popped the chamber, spun it fast, like 150 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: a cowboy in one of those old westerns he loved 151 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: so much, and then, without breaking eye contact, pressed the 152 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:23,439 Speaker 1: barrel to his temple and pulled the trigger. Johnny screamed. 153 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 1: The girl screamed. The girl screamed some more. Johnny screamed 154 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: turned into a maniacal laugh. He spun the chamber again. 155 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: Your turn, he said the Big Mama, and handed her 156 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: the revolver. No way, Johnny taunted her. Uh huh, there 157 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: was no way. Big Mama Thornton was playing Russian Roulette, 158 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,719 Speaker 1: and now there was Olivia. Her eyes said it all. 159 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 1: Johnny was disappointed. Olivia never could bring it. When it 160 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 1: counted the Johnny quickly spun the chamber again, pressed the 161 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 1: barrel to the side of his head, and pulled the 162 00:10:52,960 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: trigger again. Johnny let out of the demon exercising scream 163 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: and slammed the gun down on the table one more time. 164 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: Big Mama picked the gun up, popped the chamber, and 165 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: extracted the bullet. She then snapped the chamber shut and 166 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 1: slid the gun back across the table to Johnny, who 167 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 1: was now laughing uncontrollably. Big Mama and Olivia shook their 168 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: heads in disbelief. Johnny's laugh tapered off. He pulled again 169 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: from his jug of vodka and let the tension fall 170 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: out of the dank dressing room air until there was silence, 171 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: and then who Johnny startled Olivia and Big Mama and 172 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,199 Speaker 1: he fell out all over again and laughter. He then 173 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: picked up the gun and both women got up from 174 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: the table, having had it with Johnny's bullshit, but non 175 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: plus by the empty threat from the empty chamber. As 176 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: both women began to split, Johnny called out, way, wait, wait, wait, wait, 177 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: I'm just playing. Stay stay, It's all good. I won't 178 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:53,719 Speaker 1: play no more. Both women stopped, looked down at Johnny, exhaled, 179 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: and prepared to sit. Johnny Yce couldn't help himself. He 180 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: needed one more laugh. Across from Johnny, Big Mama took 181 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: her seat, and then Olivia sat on Johnny's lap. When 182 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: she did, Johnny Yace put his gun to his temple 183 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:14,200 Speaker 1: and pulled the trigger one last time. That's when Big 184 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: Mama Thornton saw Johnny Yace's brains blast through his skull 185 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: and rock at the hairs on his head. Across the 186 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: backstage dressing room with the Houston City Auditorium on Christmas 187 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: Day nineteen fifty four, Big Mamma Thornton sat under the 188 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 1: intense bright light in the interrogation room, recounting to Houston 189 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: PD what had happened? Johnny was crazy? He was John 190 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: played with his gun all the time, he said. Johnny 191 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: was a drunk all the Johnny should have been making 192 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:07,199 Speaker 1: more money than he was, as successful as he was. 193 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: Johnny thought he was getting ripped off by his record. 194 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: That's why Johnny drank. No, Johnny didn't kill himself. No, 195 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 1: she didn't kill john of course she didn't. Why would she? 196 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:16,680 Speaker 1: Could she have a glass of water? How long was 197 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: this gonna tat? She's saying, hound Dog? No, she didn't 198 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 1: write the song. Yes, a white man, What did that 199 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 1: have to do with anything? How many questions did she 200 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 1: have to answer? And yes, finally, of course she knew 201 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: who Don Roby was. Of course, Elvis Presley knew who 202 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,080 Speaker 1: Don Roby was as well. Elvis sat back in his 203 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: chair in the jungle room and thought about how he 204 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 1: had made Don Roby rich, or how he had made 205 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: Don Roby richer than he already was. Don Roby owned 206 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: Peacock Records, the record label that sold Big Mama Thornton's records. 207 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: Hound Dog included the nineteen fifty three single was written 208 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: by Jerry Leeber and Mike Stoleer and recorded and released 209 00:13:56,360 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 1: by Elvis Presley on July thirteenth, nineteen fifty six, and 210 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:01,719 Speaker 1: the song went to number one on the R and 211 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:04,719 Speaker 1: BA and Country and Western charts, hit number one on 212 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 1: the Billboard Top one hundred Pop chart, and sold a 213 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: colossal amount of records. It was a monstrous hit, a 214 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: culture shifting hit. Hound Dog transcended generations. Elvis appeared on 215 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: The Steve Allen Show where he sang the Big Mama 216 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: Thornton hit to an actual hound dog. It was a 217 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 1: performance on a show meant to appeal to kids and 218 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: their parents, and the song not only transcended generations, it 219 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: transcended race. It was written by a white songwriting team 220 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 1: for a black artist who had a hit with it 221 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: on the black charts, and then it was covered by 222 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: a white artist who brought the song to the white mainstream. 223 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: Elvis's cover version of hound Dog, it should be noted, 224 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: was derided by its white songwriters as sounding inane and 225 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: too white compared to the version first song by Big 226 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: Mamma Thornton, for whom they wrote the song, and they 227 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 1: weren't wrong, but fuck those songwriters. Fuck Jerry Leeber and 228 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: fuck Mike Stoller. Elvis thought, the more that record sold 229 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: seven million, eight million, white sounding or not, no doubt 230 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: that record started to sound a lot better Lieber and Stoller, 231 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: who were raking in the royalties. Elvis's thoughts returned to 232 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 1: Johnny Ace. He knew Johnny Ace loved hound Dog because 233 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: he knew Johnny was a fan and a friend of 234 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: Big Mama Thornton's. It may be part of Elvis thought 235 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: that if he did well with that song, he'd done 236 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: well in Johnny's eyes, and that perhaps would have made 237 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: Elvis just a little bit cooler with the cool kids 238 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: down on Beale Street from back in the day. Johnny 239 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: was dead and gone by the time Elvis recorded the tune, 240 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 1: but that didn't matter. Elvis could always do with a 241 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: little more cool. Whatever his motivation, the song worked. It 242 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: was the exact type of crossover success, a black song 243 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: climbing high up the white charts that Don Roby meant 244 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: to have for Johnny Ace. Don Roby was a big man, 245 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: and when he lumbered down the Houston sidewalk, moved out 246 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: of his way, Black or white, it didn't matter. Don 247 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: was part two, part black, and all gangster music was 248 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: his business. Power was his birthright. Then violence was the 249 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: mechanism by which he controlled his mini empire. This Saturday 250 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: morning walk was his ritual after a busy night at 251 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: his club, the Bronze Peacock. The money he made had 252 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: to be deposited into his account at the local bank, 253 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: and there was no one tough enough for Don Rogy 254 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: to trust with his money. So Don Roby stuffed the 255 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: burlap sack with his cash, flung it over his shoulder, 256 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: loaded his shotgun with two shells, slung that over his 257 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: other shoulder, and strolled on down to the bank, daring 258 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: anyone dumb enough to fuck with him. The shotgun, the 259 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: giant cigar that lived rent free between his lips, the 260 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: massive diamonds that adorned the rings on his fingers, the 261 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: constant stream of cusses, it was all part of Don 262 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: Roby's way. Don Roby was not a man to be 263 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: messed with business at the Bronze Peacock. His club was good, 264 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: the giant was jumping, Louis Jordan, t bone Walker, gate 265 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 1: Mouth Brown, Ike Turner. They all packed him in, and 266 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: most of those artists and more little Richard Wynni Harris, 267 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,639 Speaker 1: Big Joe Turner all had Don Roby booking their shows 268 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: from Houston to Memphis and beyond in dance halls and 269 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: juke joints on what would come to be known as 270 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:24,440 Speaker 1: the Chitten' circuit. But live music wasn't Roby's only business. 271 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: Roby had a record label too, Peacock Records, and Roby 272 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 1: relied on scouts and other cities to find talent, which 273 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: is in part how he found out about Johnny ace 274 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: way Off in Memphis. Roby knew Johnny was a star 275 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: the moment he heard his first recording, a lazy ballad 276 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 1: simply Sung, which went to number one on the R 277 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: and B charts. It was called My Song. Johnny wasn't 278 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: the greatest singer from Roby's or anyone's estimation, but he 279 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: had that certain extra something that cool, that cadillac walk, 280 00:17:57,240 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: that thing that takes an ordinary singer and makes him 281 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: as Johnny was that type of musician, the type that 282 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: could make it on both the black R and B 283 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:09,200 Speaker 1: charts and on the white pop charts, and Don Roby 284 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: was just the guy to make it happen for Johnny. 285 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:16,119 Speaker 1: But Roby needed more than muscle. He needed a white man, 286 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: a white man with white radio connections. He found this 287 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: man in a bleeding Heart named Dave Mattis. Mattis's business 288 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: was less of business and more of a public service 289 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:31,359 Speaker 1: he offered to the black musicians he loved. Mattis's goal 290 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: was to help elevate black musicians in the public consciousness 291 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:38,479 Speaker 1: through the power of radio promotion, and Mattis was a 292 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:42,719 Speaker 1: perfect mark for Don Roby. So Roby struck up a partnership. 293 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 1: His Peacock Records became Duke Peacock Records in collaboration with 294 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:52,159 Speaker 1: Dave Mattis, and the partnership paid off, sort of. Johnny 295 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: Ace's next two singles, Crossed My Heart and the Clock, 296 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:57,679 Speaker 1: were also both hits on the R and B charts. 297 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: The Clock went to number one, where it stayed for 298 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: a total of five weeks. Johnny Ace was making hits, 299 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 1: but Johnny Ace wasn't making money. Don Roby was still 300 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: for Roby, it was not enough. Johnny was charting, but 301 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 1: not on the pop charts, so that big payday Roby 302 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: craved continued to elude him. Plus, the terms of his 303 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: partnership dictated that he share his profits with his new 304 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:26,680 Speaker 1: business partner. Dave Mattis, so Roby figured it was time 305 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:31,640 Speaker 1: he paid his partner a visit. Dave Mattis didn't see 306 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: it coming. He felt it up sure as shit. That 307 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 1: was a pistol whipping across his forehead. He went down quickly, 308 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: knocking the carefully ranged papers on his desk under the floor. 309 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 1: Along the way. Don Roby stood above him, foaming at 310 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: the mouth, screaming nonsense about how Maddis wasn't earning his 311 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 1: fair share of the take, how the partnership had run 312 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 1: its course, how Johnny Aace needed more, how Johnny Aace 313 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:56,640 Speaker 1: was a star, how two number ones in the black 314 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: arm B chart wasn't dittaly squad compared to one hit 315 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,439 Speaker 1: on the white pop chat. Mattis tried to stand to speak. 316 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:05,400 Speaker 1: Roby kicked him in the ribs, sending him flailing back 317 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 1: onto the floor, and Mattis screamed, and Robbie then brought 318 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: his boot to his partner's head, stopping on him mercilessly. 319 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,399 Speaker 1: When Mattis's screaming ceased, Roby bent over and pulled the 320 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: record promoter up by his bloody lapels and plopped him 321 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: into his desk chair. He then put a pen in 322 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: Madis's hand and made him sign a contract ending their partnership. 323 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 1: Were reported ten thousand dollars by him, pennies compared to 324 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 1: the value of Johnny Yace's overall record sales. But Roby 325 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: didn't care. Don Roby now had what he wanted, the 326 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: sole control of Johnny Yace, and all the matter now 327 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 1: was making sure Johnny Yace wound up on the pop charts. 328 00:20:47,440 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: We'll be right back after this. We're We're where the 329 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: hound Dog forty five lay flat on Elvis Presley State 330 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:08,400 Speaker 1: of the Arts stereo console. Elvis used it to group 331 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: his pills as he organized them. It was Big Mamma 332 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: Thornton's version of the song, not Elvis's. It was nineteen 333 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: seventy six. After all, Elvis couldn't listen to his version 334 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 1: of the song anymore. His version was basically regarded as 335 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: a novelty tune these days, and Elvis wasn't interested in 336 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: novelty tunes. Elvis was interested in breaking through, not for fame. 337 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: He had fame. He wanted critical acclaim. It had been 338 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: years since the critics wrote anything positive about him. Sure, 339 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: there were the sycophants in the press that would say 340 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 1: something positive every time he released anything, but Elvis wanted 341 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: to win over the real rock critics who had long 342 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: since abandoned him. First for the Beatles, then for the Stones, 343 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 1: Dylan and Hendricks, and now Bowie and Zeppelin. Elvis was 344 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: searching for a song to break through. He needed a 345 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:01,919 Speaker 1: song that would be a true expression of how he 346 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: felt at the moment, a song that would express the 347 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: loneliness and grief that consumed him. At least, that's what 348 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 1: he was searching for that Christmas morning, breaking through for fame. 349 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 1: Back when he was coming up, he had many tools 350 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,960 Speaker 1: at his disposal. First of all, there was his talent. 351 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: Then there were his good looks and his willingness to 352 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 1: go there on stage to do things other white boys 353 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: wouldn't do. And before all that, there were the pills. 354 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:35,440 Speaker 1: Not these pills, but his mama's pills. He knews a prescription, 355 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: hit up the pharmacy and procure pills for the older 356 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 1: musicians doubted Sun's studios, and they had, in turn let Elvis, 357 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,400 Speaker 1: in his pre fame days, hang around while they worked. 358 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: Annoying little shit that he was. Then. That was back 359 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 1: in the early nineteen fifties years ago, right around the 360 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: time Elvis first heard Big Mama Thornton's version of hound Dog, 361 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,879 Speaker 1: and Big Mamma Thornton was on the come up, just 362 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: like a record label mate and Elvis's fell o, Memphian 363 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: Johnny Ayce. Back in nineteen fifty three, Don Roby stood 364 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 1: in the kitchen of the Bronze Peacock and busied himself 365 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:14,879 Speaker 1: by scaling a freshly caught fish. He steadily slid his 366 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,400 Speaker 1: bowie knife up and down the fish's side, flecking off 367 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: its skin. The work took concentration, but the singer standing 368 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,840 Speaker 1: next to Roby was pleading his case. It broke Roby's concentration, 369 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: much to his annoyance, so Roby was forced to put 370 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: his knife down and direct his focus at the young singer. 371 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,399 Speaker 1: This singer was different, different than Johnny Yace and different 372 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 1: than Big Mama Thornton, both of whom were on the 373 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: road together at the moment playing Roby's circuit, each promoting 374 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: their respective Duke Peacock hits Big Mama's hound Dog, which 375 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,119 Speaker 1: was beginning to fall from its peak number one arm 376 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: bea chart position, and Johnny Yace is the Clock, which 377 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: was a hit on the arm B charts like hound Dog, 378 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 1: but also like hound Dog hadn't broken through on the 379 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: pop chart, Johnny Ayce's inability to break through in the 380 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: pop charts was at this appointments Don Roby and Johnny 381 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 1: Yace wasn't working out as Don Roby had hoped. Nevertheless, 382 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: for some reason for Don Roby, hope was contagious in 383 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,399 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty three. This singer here in front of Roby 384 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 1: had hope in spades, and why wouldn't he He was 385 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: getting paid at least a little bit to sing, But 386 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,439 Speaker 1: Roby knew that this singer didn't have the work ethic 387 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 1: to make it. The singer explained that sure he wanted 388 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:27,439 Speaker 1: to be a star, but he just couldn't go on 389 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:29,920 Speaker 1: the road. Next week. He had another job he needed 390 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,400 Speaker 1: to tend to at the fish fry. The road didn't 391 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: pay enough, but if Roby would give him a bigger 392 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:38,120 Speaker 1: cut of the performance fee, well, then he wouldn't need 393 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: the second job and he'd be free to go out 394 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 1: on the road and work. You have to understand what 395 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:47,360 Speaker 1: Don Roby understood back in the early fifties. Not only 396 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: were jobs for blacks few and far between, but a 397 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 1: job like being a musician a singer a job that 398 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,560 Speaker 1: provided work you loved to do for a black person. Again, 399 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: back in the early fifties, these types of jobs were 400 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: nearly not existent. To be able to go out onto 401 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 1: the road and into the recording studio and play music 402 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 1: and get paid for it was a dream. Don Roby 403 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: knew this, and despite being black himself, he exploited this 404 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: dynamic with the black musicians he employed. He knew they 405 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:17,320 Speaker 1: were just happy to be doing what they were doing, 406 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:21,119 Speaker 1: even if they knew he was ripping them off. Robi 407 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: nodded along as the singer continued arguing his play, feigning empathy. 408 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: This singer intrigued. The more he spoke, the more worked 409 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: up he got, the more feminine his voice and affectations became. 410 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 1: And then the singer brought up Johnny Ace. Johnny was unhappy, 411 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 1: the singer said. Johnny felt his hit song should have 412 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: been generating more cash. Johnny was tired of rolling around 413 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: the countryside playing shows for Don Roby with Big Mama 414 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 1: Thornton in a beat up station wagon. Johnny wanted a Cadillac. 415 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:51,359 Speaker 1: The singer said he could do better than Johnny. The 416 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 1: singer said he could write and record bigger hits, but 417 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 1: he needed to be unburdened of his second job. He 418 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: needed a higher percentage of pay than what Roby was 419 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: co compensating him with. The anger hit Don Roby with 420 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: a sustained piercing sound to the side of his head. 421 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: It was almost as if the knife he was holding 422 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:13,679 Speaker 1: somehow started stabbing him in his temple by its own volition. 423 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:19,120 Speaker 1: The room froze just before Don Roby felt himself explode 424 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: in violence. He clutched the frail singer by the neck 425 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,399 Speaker 1: and with one arm, Don Roby rocketed him across the 426 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,400 Speaker 1: kitchen's industrial counter into a stack of pots and pants. 427 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: He then grabbed the singer by the hair and tossed 428 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: him out of the greasy kitchen floor. The singer let 429 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 1: out a high pitched scream. He hollered like a woman, 430 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: Roby thought, as he pummeled him with his foot, kicking 431 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:41,639 Speaker 1: him repeatedly in the gun. Next, he dragged the singer 432 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:43,879 Speaker 1: to his feet, clutched him again by the throat, and 433 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 1: pinned him back first up against the wall. As the 434 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 1: story goes, or at least the story that Elvis heard, 435 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,159 Speaker 1: Don Roby then grabbed the fish he was scaling and 436 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 1: used it to knock the hope out of the singer, 437 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:57,919 Speaker 1: using it as he did his pistol with Dave Mattis, 438 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: repeatedly whipping the singer cross his pretty face. That singer 439 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 1: Elvis knew was Little Richard, the co composer of the 440 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 1: song Tuty Fruity, which Elvis recorded and released in nineteen 441 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: fifty six. I watched race up the pop charts to 442 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,119 Speaker 1: a position Little Richard and Johnny Ace could only have 443 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: dreamed of. Rock and roll was a strange, strange occupation, 444 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 1: how Elvis wondered, had it all worked out this way? 445 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:48,920 Speaker 1: Christmas Day, nineteen fifty four, Houston Coliseum on the bill 446 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 1: that night, BB King, the Johnny Otis Band, Big Mama Thornton, 447 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:57,639 Speaker 1: and Johnny Ace. The local kids, mostly black, some white, 448 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: shuffled through the venue's big open door into the lobby, 449 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,679 Speaker 1: where BB King's brand new two tone Cadillac was on 450 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:07,639 Speaker 1: display for all to see. BB's fans marveled at the 451 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:11,399 Speaker 1: automotive beauty. BB had really done it, made something of 452 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:14,560 Speaker 1: himself by doing what he loved. The speakers from the 453 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:18,160 Speaker 1: Cadillac pumped in the local radio station, alternately spinning Christmas 454 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 1: songs with hits from the day White Christmas gave way 455 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 1: to Hank Williams's I'll Never Get out of This World Alive. Somewhere, 456 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 1: Don Roby smiled. Hank Williams was a drunk who didn't 457 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:33,400 Speaker 1: know where he was half the time, but he had 458 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,680 Speaker 1: done one thing right. He died at the best time possible, 459 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: and in so doing pushed his latest single to number 460 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 1: one on the charts. Once Old Hank died, the public 461 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 1: couldn't get enough of the last song he released, I'll 462 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:49,720 Speaker 1: Never Get out of this World Alive. That song sold 463 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 1: and sold and sold and sold. It was not only 464 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 1: a number one hit on the country charts, it was 465 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: a hit that wouldn't die. And there's no doubt about it. 466 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: Hank's death made Hank's song a smash. Johnny Aace needed 467 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: a smash his newly released single released that day. In fact, 468 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 1: on Christmas nineteen fifty four, Pledging My Love, Don Roby 469 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 1: was credited as one of the songwriters on that song, 470 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 1: even though the likelihood that he actually had a hand 471 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 1: in writing it was slim, to say the least. It's 472 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: far more likely that his co writer Ferdinand Washington actually 473 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 1: wrote the song, and that Roby muscled his way into 474 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 1: a credit so that he could capture a greater share 475 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: of the song's royalties. This was a common practice among 476 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:34,200 Speaker 1: dubious businessmen from the early days of rock and roll. 477 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: The real point, however, is that Don Roby knew that 478 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 1: Pledging My Love had the makings of a hit, but 479 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 1: a hit on the R and B charts wasn't going 480 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 1: to be enough Roby's investment Johnny Aace had proven unable 481 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: to cross over to the white pop chart, so the 482 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 1: next best thing would be a hit that wouldn't die. 483 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 1: Another of Roby's artists, Big Mama Thornton, was also in 484 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:58,959 Speaker 1: need of a hit, but for her there was no 485 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: next hound dog the chamber. Big Mama was slipping but 486 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: without a hit. While she had was a bullet from 487 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 1: a twenty two, Don Roby had given it to her. 488 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:15,080 Speaker 1: His instructions were clear. Put the bullet in the chamber 489 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:18,840 Speaker 1: of Johnny Ace's twenty two when he wasn't looking. Big 490 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 1: Mama had no choice as head of her record label, 491 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 1: as her agent and promoter, Don Roby controlled her, and 492 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 1: if Big Mama wanted to continue to have a career 493 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 1: in music, she had only one choice. Do what the 494 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 1: man said back in the dressing room before the show. 495 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,960 Speaker 1: As Johnny Ace let out his demon exercising scream and 496 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,760 Speaker 1: flipped his gun to the table, Big Mamma Thornton picked 497 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: it up, ostensibly to remove the lone bullet from the 498 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:50,880 Speaker 1: chamber of the twenty two, But that's not what happened. Instead, 499 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: in the chaos of the moment, Big Mama Thornton added 500 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 1: another bullet into the chamber on orders from her boss, 501 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 1: Don Roby, thus increasing the chance that Johnny y Ace would 502 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 1: shoot himself in the head while playing this deadly game 503 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: of chicken with his gun. The murder weapon was set, 504 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: the opportunity had arrived, and the motive was clear. When 505 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 1: news of Johnny Yce's death on Christmas Day nineteen fifty 506 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 1: four spread, this was the story that those who knew 507 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 1: Don Roby best told themselves in hush tones that Don 508 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 1: Roby had forced Big Mamma Thornton to help him kill 509 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 1: Johnny Yace so that Johnny Ace would achieve massive posthumous success, 510 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: just as Hank Williams had when he died a year 511 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 1: earlier on New Year's Day. Except this story isn't true. 512 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,080 Speaker 1: Big Mamma Thornton did not help her boss Don Roby 513 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:51,600 Speaker 1: kill her friend Johnny Yace. This story is a myth. Instead, 514 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 1: what happened was that another myth took root, and to 515 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:57,680 Speaker 1: this day, this myth is believed to be the cause 516 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:01,800 Speaker 1: of Johnny Ayce's death. Myth states that Johnny Ace died 517 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: playing a reckless game of Russian Roulette backstage at the 518 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 1: Houston Coliseum on Christmas Day in nineteen fifty four. This 519 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 1: story isn't true either. You need more than one person 520 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:15,480 Speaker 1: to play Russian Roulette, and Big Mama Thornton and Johnny's 521 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: girlfriend Olivia were not in on the game with the 522 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: young singer, so that didn't happen either. But that story, 523 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 1: the Russian Roulette story, was an easy explanation. It allowed 524 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:29,719 Speaker 1: Houston PD to put the case to bed quickly. At 525 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: the local headlines screamed, Bam leader killed playing gun Roulette. 526 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: This version of the story had another benefit as well. 527 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:41,280 Speaker 1: It was tragic got a friend who dies from playing 528 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:44,880 Speaker 1: Russian Roulette. There's a song for that, except this one 529 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 1: is real. It's called Pledging My Love by Johnny Ace. 530 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: When words spread that Johnny Ace died tragically from playing 531 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: Russian Roulette copies of his latest single, Just like Hank 532 00:32:55,840 --> 00:33:00,200 Speaker 1: Williams's posthumous single, sold and sold, and sold and sold. 533 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 1: It wasn't exactly what Don Roby wanted. It wasn't a 534 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: hit on the white pop charts, but it was a 535 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 1: hit that wouldn't die. So who was Don Roby to 536 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,520 Speaker 1: correct the press? Who was Don Roby to set the 537 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 1: record buying public straight by telling him how Johnny Ayace 538 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:19,480 Speaker 1: really died, drunk and careless, messing around with his twenty 539 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 1: two backstage on Christmas Day in nineteen fifty four. Elvis 540 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: knew all of this. He knew it then when it 541 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,280 Speaker 1: happened back in fifty four, and he knew it now 542 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:33,160 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy six as he sat alone on Christmas 543 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: morning pondering his creative future. He also knew that the 544 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:41,040 Speaker 1: tragedy of Johnny Ace was a gift, just like those 545 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:45,720 Speaker 1: tragedy songs from his youth. Johnny's story and Johnny's song 546 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 1: Pledging My Love inspired the King, So Elvis set out 547 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 1: to record Johnny Yace's last single, which he did right 548 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 1: there in the jungle room. Elvis Presley's version of Johnny 549 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: Ace's Pledging My Love was released on Elvis's last album, 550 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:05,120 Speaker 1: Moody Blue, in June of nineteen seventy seven, two months 551 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: before the King himself would die. Neither the song nor 552 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: the album were hits. Consensus from the rock press was 553 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,200 Speaker 1: that Elvis Pressley's last record was, in a word, uninspired. 554 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 1: But upon Elvis's death just months after the record was released, 555 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:24,719 Speaker 1: that album sold and sold and sold and sold. It 556 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 1: went gold, and then it went platinum. Elvis's last record 557 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 1: was a commercial smash, and the songwriting royalties the windfall 558 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:39,120 Speaker 1: of cash generated from Elvis's recording of Johnny Ace's pledging 559 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:44,360 Speaker 1: My Love, that money went to Don Roby's estate. And 560 00:34:44,520 --> 00:35:12,719 Speaker 1: that's of disgrace. I'm Jake Brennan in this is Disgraceland. 561 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 3: All right, Mary Christmas, everybody, Ho Ho ho. I hope 562 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 3: you dug this episode. I love the rock and roll 563 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 3: miss Frankly. I can't get enough of them. 564 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,400 Speaker 1: So the question of the week, what is your favorite 565 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:18,479 Speaker 1: or most interesting rock and roll or music related myth? 566 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 1: Hit me up, let me know six one seven nine 567 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 1: I was six six six three eight, Leave me a voicemail, 568 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:25,799 Speaker 1: send me a text, let me know. You can also 569 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:28,440 Speaker 1: reach me at disgrace lamp pod as well on Instagram, 570 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 1: x and Facebook. Leave a review for the show on 571 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Win some free merch Okay, here 572 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:34,800 Speaker 1: come some credits. 573 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 4: Disgraceland was created by Yours Truly and is produced in 574 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:42,920 Speaker 4: partnership with Double Elvis. Credits for this episode can be 575 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:46,320 Speaker 4: found on the show notes page at disgracelampod dot com. 576 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:49,759 Speaker 4: If you're listening as a Disgraceland All Access member, thank 577 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 4: you for supporting the show. 578 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 1: We really appreciate it. And if not, you can become 579 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:57,000 Speaker 1: a member right now by going to disgracelampod dot com 580 00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:01,359 Speaker 1: Slash Membership. Members can listen to every episode of Disgraceland 581 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:05,400 Speaker 1: ad free, Plus you'll get one brand new exclusive episode 582 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 1: every month, weekly unscripted bonus episodes, special audio collections, and 583 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 1: early access to merchandise and events. Visit disgracelampod dot com 584 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:17,799 Speaker 1: slash membership for details, Rate and review the show, and 585 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:21,879 Speaker 1: follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook at disgracelampod 586 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,840 Speaker 1: and on YouTube at YouTube dot com slash at Disgracelandpod 587 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:32,800 Speaker 1: rock a rollup. He then